


Territory

by toothbrushattack



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Gen, i actually love the box ghost, people don't give him enough credit
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-31
Updated: 2016-12-31
Packaged: 2018-09-13 18:08:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9135454
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/toothbrushattack/pseuds/toothbrushattack
Summary: “How do you not know? Don’t you want to have it? To possess it? Make sure no other ghost can touch or harm it? Isn’t it your home? Your place?” The box ghost said, almost desperately trying to explain.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Just a drabble

“ _WHELP!”_ Skulker howled in rage when Danny wound a rope of ectoplasm around his ankle and lassoed him straight into a building.

 

Danny smirked in amusement, floating toward the building and crossing his arms. “Honestly Skulker at this point I don’t even know why you bother, how long was it this time? A minute?

 

The young man scratched at the stubble on his cheek absently and leaned against the broken edge of the wall.

 

“It’s _unclaimed_ territory child, I may do as I damn well please.” Danny rolled his eyes and placed a hand on Skulkers chest.

 

“You know you’re the third ghost to tell me that this week. Anyway, you know the drill, catch you later!” Skulker tried for one last swipe at Dannys face before his body collapsed into itself and into a portal into the ghost zone that had opened up beneath him.

 

“And I know just the ghost to tell me why.” Danny mused as he spotted the warehouse in the distance.

 

“Beware.” He muttered as he disappeared into thin air.

* * *

 

 

He reappeared within the warehouse, floating down to sit on one of the boxes.

 

“Box ghost,” Danny started, a fine mist of cool air leaving his mouth, “I know you’re here. Don’t run, I have an offer for you. All I need you to do is answer some questions.” The young halfa counted down from sixty, keeping his breath steady as he silently sent out clones to block the exits in the warehouse.

 

“What sort of questions?” He smiled and turned his head to the left where red eyes peered at him suspiciously from behind some boxes.

 

“Questions about ghosts. In exchange I’ll let you haunt this place one month for each question you answer. Only on the condition that you don’t hurt anyone, the workers here only have good things to say about you so don’t change that now.” He could tell he’d nabbed the ghosts’ interest by the offer.

 

“They like me?” He questioned floating over the box now, bulky body curled into itself insecurely.

 

“The only reason I haven’t chased you out yet. As long as you behave you can stay, you’re not bad company apparently. They think your pranks are funny.” Danny smiled teasingly. The box ghost considered him for a moment, and then nodded.

He crossed his legs and floated down to a box. “What is that you would like to know Phantom?” His voice projected loudly, like when he monologued and Danny winced.

 

“A little lower Box-man. I’ve been hearing a lot of ghosts saying this is unclaimed territory. What does a territory mean to you?” The ghost considered, tapping his chin in concentration.

 

“Territories are yours. You defend it from intruders Phantom. FOR EXAMPLE, this warehouse is my home! Only a ghost more powerful than me may enter without my permission. It can anything from a box, to an entire section of the ghost zone!” Danny blinked at the new information, staring at the ghost in interest.

 

“How do you make a territory? How do you know if you’ve been blocked? Or invited?” The box ghost held up his hands to pause him.

 

“Too many questions! Stop!” Danny ceased and waited while the ghost seemed to think about the questions.

 

“A ghost can invite you if he is aware of you!” The ghost explained, “If you are not invited you cannot come into the territory. If you are invited you are allowed to come in.”

 

“So how was I able to enter the warehouse? Or the doors in the ghost zone? Aren’t those territories too?” The box ghost stared at him for a long time, long enough for Danny to start getting uncomfortable.

 

“What?” Danny finally snapped, and the box ghost frowned at him.

 

“Are you not aware, halfa, of your own status in the ghost zone?” There was an honest, curious look on the other ghosts face that kept Dannys anger at bay. He didn’t like being kept in the dark and most ghosts tended to enjoy only giving him slices of information.

 

“What are you talking about? Give me a straight answer, box ghost, why can I go into other ghosts territories without being invited?” Danny demanded, tapping his fingers on the box impatiently.

 

“I have already told you Phantom.” Danny blinked at him, an uncomfortable feeling curling in his stomach.

 

“I’m more…powerful than most ghosts?” He asked awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck at the information.

 

“Most have wondered why you have not staked your territory yet.” The box ghost crossed his arms, looking down at the floor, a nervous tension in his body.

 

Danny watched him, something akin to pity blossoming in his chest. The box ghost wasn’t very strong, and the fact that he had no territory to speak of in the ghost zone spoke volumes about why he consistently came back here to haunt warehouses.

 

How must it feel like, not to have a home in the place you’re supposed to belong to?

 

The halfa sighed softly, scratching his head in thought.

 

“All right box-man, I have a proposal for you.” The box ghost looked back up at him, distrust in his face.

 

“Show me how to make my territory and answer my questions whenever I need them, and I’ll let you stay here as long as you like.” He held up a finger in pause at the widening of the other ghosts eye.

 

“ _As long_ as you aren’t causing the workers trouble. The same rules still apply. But I’ll leave you be and make sure other ghosts don’t bother you.” The ghost stared at him, eyes wide and disbelieving.

 

“You would offer _me,_ the _box ghost,_ protection? You would trust me to _agree_ to these rules?” There was an odd tone in his voice, something like awe and incredulity.

 

“Yes.” Phantom nodded, gaze unwavering and posture confident.

 

The other ghost looked a little overwhelmed and Danny wasn’t sure what to make of it.

 

He held out his hand to shake, expecting to be rejected, “If you need tim-“

 

“I agree to your terms.”

 

Danny blinked at the hand suddenly in his. It was cool and firm in his, gripping it tightly, almost desperately.

 

“So I can _stay?_ You won’t make me go back to the ghost zone?” Eyes wide and searching Dannys for any hint of deception.

 

“Yes. I promise, as long as you keep your end of the deal.” The expression stayed on his face a moment longer before the box ghost smiled, freckled face looking very different in comparison the usual scowl etched on his face.

 

For the first time in a long time, Danny felt a sensation similar to _possessiveness_ crawl throughout his body. A sensation he hadn’t felt for a long time, almost since his first year of being a ghost when it felt like it would overwhelm him every time he was with his friends and family.

 

The box ghost would stay safe in this territory, he’d make sure of it.

* * *

 

 “So what you’re telling me is that I have just _know_ what I want to be mine?” He floated over Amity Park, listening to the other ghosts kinda-not-really-but-actually-is bad explanation.

 

The box ghost chewed on his bottom lip, arms crossed and hunched.

 

“How do you not know? Don’t you want to _have_ it? To _possess_ it? Make sure no other ghost can touch or harm it? Isn’t it your _home?_ Your _place?”_ The box ghost said, almost desperately trying to explain.

 

 _That_ brought him up short.

 

 _Possession_ was such a strong word to Danny. It meant that someone didn’t have a say. It meant that he was doing something without someones consent (unless it was explicitly given).

 

Like when he first became a halfa, he’d been pulled by instincts he’d never dealt with before. And wanting to call every single person he cared for _his_ has been something that disturbed him a great deal.

 

But the way box ghost was describing it; it didn’t seem to hold the same connotations as he may have originally thought. The ghost kept saying a territory was his to protect, to make sure that others didn’t hurt it and whoever was in it?

 

Maybe, maybe he _shouldn’t_ be thinking about this as a human. Maybe he should be thinking about this as a ghost. The instincts he’d long since quelled never wanted anything more than to make sure _everyone_ knew that his family was _his_. They would not be touched, not be harmed. It never intruded on what _they_ wanted. The only time he’d every felt possessive rage was when Johnny 13 wanted to give his sisters body to Kitty, wanted to _take her away. Hurt her. It hadn’t mattered to Johnny what Jazz wanted, what did he care that Jazz always said she wanted to wait until after college for a relationship?_

He blinked in understanding.

 

“Oh.” Danny breathed. And he let the aching _want_ to claim and make sure no other would lay a hand on _his_ home, _his_ family rise from deep within his chest.

 

His core burned with energy, the air around the halfa crackling with bursts of white and green energy.

 

Dannys eyes roamed over the city and the forests surrounding it, green eyes luminescent even with light of the city reaching them.

 

_This was his home._

And he let the energy go, it expanded, feeling like he’d blown air into a bubble and he felt it course through city like water, dragging the unwelcome with it, well past the city limits to the outskirts of the forest.

 

Danny breathed, feeling almost lightheaded and he felt _good._ He felt whole and at peace with himself, like he had been complete this entire time.

 

He turned to see the ghost box, who was floating a bit below him, looking stunned as he looked over at the city.

 

“What is it?” Danny frowned looking over the city.

 

“Did I do something wrong?” He didn’t feel anything was wrong. Danny could _sense_ Amity Park in a way he hadn’t been able to before. Could feel the awareness reach to the edges of the forest that were out of his line of sight.

 

“Your territory is incredible!” The ghost waved his arms, gesturing to the town.

 

“Look at all it covers!” Danny rubbed his neck awkwardly.

 

“Yeah, I guess so. You’re welcome to roam like I said, but stay out of trouble and don’t harass people. Thanks for you help box-man, I gotta run now, I need to get home for dinner.” He waved at him, and flew home leaving the other ghost to stare after him.

 

The box ghost turned to look at the territory, a territory he was welcome in by it’s keeper. A keeper who’d offered his protection and even a small territory within.

 

Floating by himself, the box ghost turned to look towards the direction where his keeper had flown in and felt _loyalty_ settle within him firmly.

 

He would help Phantom however he could now, no matter what.

 

 

 


End file.
